A2 Idiom Informal

Se mettre le doigt dans l'œil.

Be completely mistaken.

Significado

Be entirely wrong about something.

🌍

Contexto cultural

In France, this idiom is often accompanied by a physical gesture: pulling down the lower eyelid with one finger. This means 'I don't believe you' or 'You're wrong.' Quebecers might use 'se fourrer' instead of 'se mettre'. While 'se fourrer' can be vulgar in France, in Quebec it often just means 'to make a mistake.' Usage is identical to France, but Belgians might use it more frequently in political satire in newspapers like 'Le Soir'. In Romandy (French-speaking Switzerland), the phrase is common but Swiss speakers might prefer more literal terms in professional settings to maintain 'la réserve suisse'.

🎯

Add 'jusqu'au cou'

If you want to sound like a native, always add 'jusqu'au cou'. It shows you understand the hyperbolic nature of French idioms.

⚠️

Watch the Reflexive

Don't forget the 'se'. 'Mettre le doigt dans l'œil' sounds like a physical threat!

Significado

Be entirely wrong about something.

🎯

Add 'jusqu'au cou'

If you want to sound like a native, always add 'jusqu'au cou'. It shows you understand the hyperbolic nature of French idioms.

⚠️

Watch the Reflexive

Don't forget the 'se'. 'Mettre le doigt dans l'œil' sounds like a physical threat!

💬

The Gesture

If you say this, you can pull down your lower eyelid to be extra French.

Ponte a prueba

Complete the sentence with the correct reflexive pronoun and verb form.

Si tu penses que c'est gratuit, tu ___ ___ le doigt dans l'œil.

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: te mets

The subject is 'tu', so the reflexive pronoun must be 'te'.

Which phrase means 'to be completely and utterly wrong'?

Quelle expression est la plus forte ?

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: Se mettre le doigt dans l'œil jusqu'au cou

'Jusqu'au cou' (up to the neck) adds maximum emphasis.

Match the response to the situation.

Situation: Votre ami pense qu'il peut apprendre le japonais en deux jours.

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: Tu te mets le doigt dans l'œil.

Learning Japanese in two days is an unrealistic expectation.

Complete the dialogue.

A: Je crois que le prof a oublié l'examen. B: ________, je l'ai vu avec les copies !

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: Tu te mets le doigt dans l'œil

Speaker B is correcting Speaker A.

🎉 Puntuación: /4

Ayudas visuales

Formal vs Informal

Formal
Se tromper To be mistaken
Informal
Se mettre le doigt dans l'œil To be way off

Banco de ejercicios

4 ejercicios
Complete the sentence with the correct reflexive pronoun and verb form. Fill Blank A2

Si tu penses que c'est gratuit, tu ___ ___ le doigt dans l'œil.

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: te mets

The subject is 'tu', so the reflexive pronoun must be 'te'.

Which phrase means 'to be completely and utterly wrong'? Choose B1

Quelle expression est la plus forte ?

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: Se mettre le doigt dans l'œil jusqu'au cou

'Jusqu'au cou' (up to the neck) adds maximum emphasis.

Match the response to the situation. situation_matching A2

Situation: Votre ami pense qu'il peut apprendre le japonais en deux jours.

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: Tu te mets le doigt dans l'œil.

Learning Japanese in two days is an unrealistic expectation.

Complete the dialogue. dialogue_completion A2

A: Je crois que le prof a oublié l'examen. B: ________, je l'ai vu avec les copies !

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: Tu te mets le doigt dans l'œil

Speaker B is correcting Speaker A.

🎉 Puntuación: /4

Preguntas frecuentes

10 preguntas

It's informal, but not necessarily rude among friends. It's a blunt way of saying 'you're wrong.'

Yes: 'Je me suis mis le doigt dans l'œil.' Remember to use 'être'.

It means 'up to the neck.' It's used for emphasis.

Yes, use 'Vous faites fausse route' or 'Vous vous trompez'.

Usually, it's for a significant mistake or a total misunderstanding.

Because being wrong is compared to being blind to the truth.

No, because 'doigt' is the direct object and it comes after the verb.

Only with colleagues you know very well. Never with clients.

Much more common in speaking.

No, that's not an idiom. People will just be confused.

Frases relacionadas

🔄

Se tromper

synonym

To make a mistake

🔗

Faire fausse route

similar

To be on the wrong track

🔄

Avoir tout faux

synonym

To be completely wrong

🔗

Prendre des vessies pour des lanternes

similar

To be utterly deluded

¿Te ha servido?
¡No hay comentarios todavía. Sé el primero en compartir tus ideas!